The FDA has granted approval to a new robotic prosthetic arm inspired by the film "Star Wars." The arm, called the DEKA, was created by the designer of the Segway personal scooter device and works by sending impulse signals directly back and forth to the brain.
The DEKA arm can successfully carry very intricate tasks such as zipping up a zipper, open locks with a key and handling eggs. DEKA creator Dean Kamen named his initial prototype "Luke," as it resembled the arm adopted by Luke Skywalker after he lost his arm in "Star Wars."
"This innovative prosthesis provides a new option for people with certain kinds of arm amputations," said an FDA rep of the DEKA arm. They add that it "may allow some people to perform more complex tasks than they can with current prostheses in a way that more closely resembles the natural motion of the arm."
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.